TEAiNx^G sEiTEKs] THE DOG, AND ITS VARIETIES; [and pointees. 



seeing the old dog point, or on bis perceiving 

 birds rise, or on their falling if a gun be used. 

 Three days' perseverance in this system have 

 been known to succeed in making a dog 

 perfectly staunch in backing, as well as point- 

 ing. It is advisable, especially if dogs are 

 very high couraged, to let them have a little 

 liberty, and not to be too severe for one or 

 two days, and to allow the wire edge to be 

 somewhat taken off, before stringent measures 

 are had recourse to ; the highest couraged 

 dogs are generally the wildest at starting, 

 but, when once broken, prove the best and 

 staunchest. After one good point has been 

 made, and a disposition evinced to yield to 

 sound discipline, the progress is rapid; then 

 no single fault must be overlooked, however 

 trifling, and every care and attention is de- 

 manded of the breaker. 



An indispensable requisite to all good dog- 

 training is, to begin early. There is likewise 

 another valuable ingredient in the art, namely, 

 that the words of encouragement or reproof 

 be always uniformly adhered to. The follow- 

 ing is a kind of catalogue of phrases, or dic- 

 tionary words usually connected with the 

 subject. The word Steady ! ought to be used 

 when all dogs enter a field, especially young 

 ones. TaTce heed! implies the same thing. 

 "When a dog is seen very busy and active with 

 his nose and tail, feathering as he hunts, then 

 the word To-ho ! in a mild, but sufficiently 

 marked and loud tone for the animal's hearing 

 should be used, to cheer as well as to inspire 

 caution. Down! or Doion Charge! is a com- 

 mand to the dogs to crouch, or drop the birds. 

 Bach ! brings the dogs back again to your 

 feet. 8eeh out! sends them off again in 

 quest of game ; but a wave of the hand is 

 considered much better where it is expected 

 birds are near. Hie on •' gives a spur to the 

 timid dog to leave your feet; audi Seek out! 

 orders him to hunt. Go seek! should be im- 

 pressed on a dog's memoiy as a command to 

 look out for something considered as lost, or 

 wanting ; and the term is distinguished from 

 geek out, by dogs that are properly trained. 

 Hold lip ! is used to prevent the dropping of 

 the nose to the earth to catch the scent, 

 which, although the odorous particles may not 

 tave disappeared from the spot the birds stood 

 on, are chiefly floating in the air ; conse- 

 458 



quently, by holding up his head down wind, 

 he comes in contact with the scent of the 

 birds almost immediately. The puzzle peg is 

 used as a last resource when Hold up ! is not 

 attended to. 



Ware •' is a word of caution ; and Ware 

 Hare ! is to check the animal from running 

 after the hare, when partridges, grouse, or 

 pheasants are at hand. It is a good device to 

 accustom a dog to atttend to signs as well as 

 words ; for a wave of the hand will often do 

 more execution than loud shouting. 



The pairing season is a good time to break 

 young dogs, as birds lie well ; and this is an 

 important point, and not to be disregarded. 

 It would not only be detrimental to make the 

 attempt with wild birds, but, in all probability, 

 end in complete failure, and give the breaker 

 considerable additional trouble on a future 

 occasion. If a dog is not intended for the 

 moors, and only for the marsh and field, then 

 snipes are excellent birds to introduce to his 

 notice, especially the Jack snipe, as he lies 

 remarkably close, and a few of these shot on 

 the ground, before the dog's nose, make him 

 remarkably staunch. 



"When dogs are commenced to be taught to 

 range, give them the wind as much as possible, 

 but never persevere long in one direction ; 

 but, on the contrary, change your course con- 

 stantly, alternately right and left, so as to in- 

 duce your dog to watch your movements, 

 without its being necessary to speak to him, 

 by which means, if you are successful, he will 

 subsequently beat his ground exactly as you 

 desire, being influenced by your movements, 

 whicli is a great advantage. 



AYhen a dog is beginning to learn his busi- 

 ness and becoming steady, it is not a bad 

 plan to go at right angles to the wind, as, in 

 the event of his picking up a bird or two, and 

 being merely scolded and made ashamed, he 

 will be more careful and carry his head better 

 when he goes partially down wind ; and, more- 

 over, when he points, will give you an oppor- 

 tunity of heading him, whereby you can put 

 his patience and staunchness to the test, and 

 will, at the same time, cure him of "blinking," 

 if he has ever shown any disposition to do so, 

 which means leaving a point after it has been 

 made, and coming back to the gun — not a com- 

 mon fault, but one which sometimes occurs. 



